Footwear



Nov. s, me. N, D, MATTQN j 059,471

l A FOOTWEAR Filed March 1e, 1935 s Vsheets-Smm 1 ,gf Z,

NOV. 3, 1936. N Q MATTISQN 2,059,470

' FOOTWEAR Filed March 1e, 1935 s Sheets-sheet s Patented Nov. 3, 1936UNITED, STATES PATENT oFFicE 4 Claims.

This invention pertains to footwear and more particularly to boots,shoes or the like. Almost countless attempts have been made toA deviseboots or shoes of special shape or contour or including pads, shankpieces, heels, insoles or other parts, either incorporated in the shoestructure during manufacture insertable in the com pleted shoe by theuser, a l with the avowed object of correcting various degrees of`chronic foot strain resulting or becoming manifest in socalled fallenarches, bunions, or other foot troubles, but few attempts, so far as Iam aware, have heretofore been made to devise a boot or shoe designed toinculcate such proper habitsof walking as to prevent such foot ailmentsor to correct them at their inception.

Modern4 methods of shoe manufacture and selling dictate certain quitedefinite style patterns which most wearers insist upon, even to thedetriment of foot comfort or hygiene, and if any proposed preventive orcorrective means vor device necessitate a substantial departure from theestablished and customary external shape or general appearance of ashoe, an immediate sales resistance is encountered which prevents themanufacture and sale of such "freak shoes on a commercial basis, eventhough a comparatively small number of so-called "health" shoes arecustom made for purchasers to whom looks are not of paramountimportance. To be commercially successful, any preventive or correctivefactor must bje of such character as not to necessitate substantialmodification of the exterior appearance of the shoe. One object of thepresent invention foot ailments have been based upon the premise astatic supporting structure is readily compre- (Cl. Sii-8.5)

hensible from the standpoint of its anatomy, as well as fromconsideration of the theory of its biological development, and fromcommon experience.

If an articulated skeleton of the human foot 5 be employed forexperiment it will be noted that direct downward pressure exerted upon,the astragalus,-such as occurs 'when the foot is subjected to the weightof the body, is substantially all transmitted to the os calcis or heelbone. l If this latter bone `is in balanced position in relation to theground or to the shoe heel, then the weight of the body issubstantiallyall transmitted forward through the cuboid, and little, if any, pressureis exerted by the scaphoid upon i the inner or internal cuneiform bone.It is thus clear that the foot structure is not designed to act as atripod or as a combination of static arches having one point of supportat the os calcls and having its other points of support at the distalends of the inner and outer matatarsal bones, respectively, but that, onthe other hand, when standing erect, the weight is concentrated alonga`narrow area extending from the heel along the outer side of thefoot-that small 2 part of the weight which is transmitted to the inneraspect of the forward part of the foot being distributed thereto throughreactions at the scaphoid,the reactive forces thus brought into play,being known as the scaphoid stream.

Unquestionably the ability, and possibly the desire, to rear up intostanding position, for any length of time at least, is a comparativelyrecent development, even in the human race, and by analogy to the modeof procedure of the anthropoid apes when on the ground, it may beassumed that at a comparatively recent date in biological developmentthe ancestors of the human race moved upon all fours, and, at best,erected themselves on the hind legs only at intervals and for shortperiods of time,-the body being so bent forward when supported on thehind legs as to support the weight almost entirely upon the forward endsof the metatarsal bones. Even now, the erect, military posture whilestanding still, 45 or even when walking slowly, is relatively far morefatiguing to the feet than when leaning forward, as in rapid Walking orrunning. It may further be noted that when the body is held perfectlyerect, substantially the entire weight is carried by the heel alone, itbeing easily possible under such circumstances to lift the toes clear ofthe ground,the real function of the toes, when thus standing fullyerect, apparently being merely to prevent forward and rearward sway andhaving little actual supporting action. 'I'his last-named experimentwould seem to indicate that the much talked of longitudinal archstructure of the foot is of comparatively little importance, and, if itbe remembered that -the normal foot does not touch the ground at allalong its inner part, proximally at the inner heel and distally at theinner ball, which area composes lthe so-called inner arch, then it isclear that -if any transverse arch does exist, it has no fixed abutmentat its inner end,-such arch as may exist being movably suspended at itsinner end by the foot tendons and the muscles of the lower leg. Thus,both from the theoretical and the practical standpoint it would appearthat the foot structure relating to an arch is not primarily designed bynature for supporting the body erect and stationary.

As already noted, much effort has been expended in attempting to provideshoes which are comfortable for ordinary feet, as well as to make shoesfor the correction of foot ailments, all upon the theory that the footis a static structure. whereas as a matter of fact, the foot acts as adynamic structure during by far the greater part of the time that aperson is in walking position. Most foot ailments, as I believe, are dueto incorrect habitsof walking brought about by wearing shoes thusimproperly designed, and which prevent the free dynamic action of thefoot.

In walking or running, the foot is first lifted and moved forward, thisbeing an interval of rest for the weight-supporting structure of thefoot; and then as the body over-balances in its forward lean, the footcomes yinto contact with the ground to sustain the body weight. The heelis rst to strike the ground, and as the pad beneath the posteriorprocess of the os calcis is wide, elastic and yielding, and as thelowest point of this pad beneath the os calcis is nearer to the outsidethan to the inside of the pad, the irst contact of the unshod foot withthe ground distorts the pad along a substantial part of its width,aifording a broad elliptical base disposed slightly nearer the outsideof the foot than to the inner side, and this base provides a rockingcontact for the foot as the sole of the foot swings toward the ground.In the normal unshod foot,

the contact of the sole with the ground, as the foot rocks downwardly,progresses forward from this area of first contact, the forwardlyprogressing area of contact being conned as above described, to a narrowstrip along the outer margin of the foot. As the heel begins to risetoward the end of the step, this area of contact suddenly widens outuntil it extends substantially across the foot just beneath the distalends of the metatarsal bones. Finally as the foot is almost ,Y ready torise again, the pressure is taken by the toes, which tend to exert aprehensile grip upon shod foot of a small child or that of theuncivilized man, the prepondering weight of the bony structure of thefoot at the outside of the foot, that is to say, at the outer side ofthe true' front-to-rear axis extending from the center of the back ofthe heel through the second toe, (such axis having long since beenrecognized and described as a medial axis by Dr. Camper, and being knownas the Camper 1ine") tends to cause the foot to contact properly withthe ground along its outer edge as it swings about its first point ofcontact at the heel pad, ,and thus the area of contact progressesproperly along the outer edge of the foot where it is anatomicallyadapted for weight support. However, when the foot is shod, the firstcontact of the shoe with the ground, in taking a forward step, is at therearwardly convex hard curved edge of the heel, in effect, asingle-point contact, which gives no assistance in directing theprogressive forward and downward rocking of the foot, so'that as oftenas not an initial inward roll of the foot may be set up; and if thisinitial tendency is not corrected by an effort of the muscles of the legand foot, the latter may rock forward along its middle or inner edgeinstead of its outer edge, that is to say, the foot may pronate. Thisaction, if continued for any length of time, may induce a faulty habitof walking which places unir tended strains upon the leg muscles andupon the tendons and cartilages of the foot, and may constrict the bloodvessels of the foot so as to interfere with proper circulation. Theseseveral `,lowering of the bodily health.

Shoes designed in accordance with usual practice, tight shoes, and shoeswhich are too short for the wearer, as well as other factors, allconstitute predisposing causes to bad habits of walking, with consequenttendency to pronation of the foot and the ill e'ects above described;and after such faulty habits of walking have once been established, itis diillcult to correct them, and no amount of bracing by the employmentof pads or so-called arch supports or other crutches" will eradicatesuch habits or cure the resultant ailments. On the contrary, suchmake-shift devices tend to encourage the foot to lean against thesupporting brace, with resultant accentuation of the original faults.

In accordance with the present invention, I propose to devise a normalshoe, that is to say one which will assist the foot gently and withoutcoercion, but persistently, to acquire normal or natural habits ofwalking, and which will have a tendency at least to reform acquiredincorrect habits, and in particular to induce the foot (as it rocksforward in taking a step) unconsciously to distribute the body weightupon an area which progresses forwardly along its outer margins, untilnear the completion of the step, and then, in a rapid and suddentransition, to extend this supporting area laterally immediately beneaththe distal ends of the metatarsal bone. Preferably. and to preventpremature weight-bearing by the inner ball, I provide the inner sole ofthe shoe, just beneath the pad of the great toe, with a depression suchas to relieve the inner yball of any supporting function until just atthe end of the step, at which time this depression affords the great toea firm grip for the exercise. of its'f'prehensile and propulsive effortas the shoe leaves contact with the ground.

In accomplishing the above results it is necessary to take intoconsiderationthe fact that most wearers desire a heel of substantialheight, at its rear end at least, in order that the shoe may appearexternally to conform tocustomary usage. For a given style and size ofshoe the height of the heel at its rear end is definitely established.For purposes of the present discussion, the normal level may be definedas the areas disposed medially and laterally to a line drawn from thecenter of the back of a. heel of standard dimensions and passingforwardly to the pad of the second toe, the line following the contourof the upper surface of the heel and of the shank portion of the shoe.

In accordance with the present invention, having determined this normallevel" for agiveny style and size of shoe of standard construction, Ithen proceed to construct the shoe bottom structure in such manner thatthe outer side of the foot-supporting surface of the shoe bottom isbelow this normal level. This not only to a certain extent, neutralizesthe .eiect of the high heel, but more important, provides a trough-likedepression for the `reception of the weight-supporting pad at the outeredge of the foot into which said pad is to a certain extent permittednormally to adjust or adapt itself, and which constitutes guiding anddirecting means operative to induce the foot to rock toward'the outsideand to guide the progressive application of pressure forwardly along anarrow area at the outer part of the foot during the completion of astep. As ordinarily constructed, the inner sole of a shoe makes noprovision whereby the elastic pad of tissue, underlying the outer basetread of the foot, may expand or distort other than laterally underpressure,which is the usual reason for shoes mushing over to the outerside. In the present construction', the trough-like depression justdescribed, permits this elastic pad to distort downwardly, rather thanlaterally. Preferably determined cubic capacity, the lowerin'g of thesupporting surface at the outer side of the shoe is compensated for byproviding a corresponding elevation above the normal level at theinside, but this elevation is not to be confused with so-calledarch-supporting pads or the like, commonly employed and disposed at theinner side of the shoe and which, in most cases, substantially reducethe cubic capacity of the shoe. Preferably to enhance .the tendency ofthe foot to begin the step correctly, the upper surface heel of the shoeis abnormally depressed at its forward outer corner so that `as thebottom surface of the heel contacts with the ground, there is a distincttendency to transmit the weight forwardly and outwardly and thus tocause the outer pad of the foot to crowd into the trough-likelongitudinal depression at the outer side of the sole and thus properlyto assume its weight-bearing function.

One result of the procedure above outlined is to provide a distinctlongitudinal division line extending from the heel forwardly through theshank portion of the shoe, defining two distinct levels of shoe bottom.and this line may, in a sense, be considered as a fulcrum or balancepoint about which the weight tends normally to rock toward the lowerlevel.

In the accompanying drawings certain desirable embodiments of theinvention have vbeen illustrated by way of example, and in the draw-DEB.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is alplan view of the sho'e of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a shoe illustrative of themeaning of the term normallevel as employed herein;

Fig. 4 is a plan view, to small scale, of a right insole embodyingthepresent invention;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a right last, useful in making shoes embodyingthe present invention, said last having its longitudinal axis at thesocalled Camper line;

Fig. 5a is a bottom view of the last shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an inner sole for a right shoe, such inner solebeing designed in accordance with one specific embodiment of the presentinvention;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section, to small scale, on the line '|-1 of Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8 Fig. 11 is a.longitudinal section on the line Ii--ii of Fig. 6;

Fig. 12 is a plan View of an inner sole constructed in accordance with afurther and preferred specific embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a transverse section, to small scale, on the line |3-I3 ofFig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a. transverse section on the line Il-il of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of a rigid shank piece preferably employed inassociation with the insole of the type illustrated in Figs. 12 to 14inclusive;

Fig. 16 is a section on the line IB-IB of Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a. section on the line ll-i'l of Fig. 15;

Fig. 18 is a section on the line IIB-i8 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section on the line.

Fig. 20 is a vertical section substantially in the plane of the breastof theshoe heel, looking rearwardly, and illustrating the constructionof a shoe embodying an insole of the type shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 2l is a side elevation o f a shoe heel (for a womans shoe)illustrating a construction useful in association with an insole of thetype of kind shown in Fig. 4 taken in the plane of the longitudinal axisof the last;

Fig. 24 is a vertical section on the line 24--24 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 25 is a section on the line 2S-25 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 26 is a plan view of a last having its longitudlnal axis at -theso-called Meyer line; and

- Fig. 27 is a perspective view illustrating a metallic shank piece ofmodified form.

In the commercial manufacture of footwear certain standards ofmeasurement are generally recognized. For example, length and width(size); height of heel and thickness of outer and inner sole (in irons);and cubic capacity with reference to given size and style; and whileeach of these factors may vary by recognized gradations, any ordinarycommercial shoe embodying such denite measurements may be considered asa standard type of shoe. For example,

in a welt shoe whose heel, sole and insole are each of a selected numberof lrons" in thickness, the upper or foot-supporting surface oi.' theinsole will be at a definite and predeterminable distance from theground at each, respectively, of a series of points extending from heelto toe. Thus if in such a shoe a line were to be drawn upon the upper orfoot-supporting surface of the insole, extending from about the centerof the heel forwardly approximately to the region of the pad of thesecond toe, such a line, lying in the vertical plane of the longitudinalaxis of the shoe, will be the locus of such a series of points disposedat standard distances from the ground. For ease and description such aline is hereinafter referred to as the "normal level and the height fromthe ground of the various portions or areas of the foot-supportingsurface of the shoe bottom structure are convenientlyvindicated byreference to this normal level line.

While herein reference is made to the vertical plane of the longitudinalaxis of the shoe as extending from' the center of the heel through thepad of the second toe (that is to say, the Camper line" axis) which isbelieved to represent the best practice in shoe making, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its broaderaspects atleast, to embodiment in -a shoe whose longitudinal axis islocated at this particular place.

With the above understanding of the terms to be employed, reference maybe had to the drawings wherein in Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated ashoe which externally is of substantially usual appearance, the shoebeing of commercial style, size and cubic capacity, and made inaccordance with usual manufacturing methods and diifering only fromordinary shoes in the particular features about to be explained.

'Ihe shoe shown in Figs. l and 2 isa mans shoe for the left foot andcomprises the upper I which may be of any desirable material orcombination' of materials. 'Ihe shoe specifically illustrated is a weltshoe (although the invention is not limited to use in shoes made by thewelt system) and comprises a bottom structure including the outer sole2, the heel l, and an insole of the novel construction hereinafterdescribed.

Referring to Fig. 3, which is a diagrammatic side elevation of ls, shoeoi commercial style, size and cubic capacity, having the .upper I' and abottom structure including the sole member 2 and the heel l. the numerall designates the foot-supporting surface of the bottom structure and inthis view the broken line N-L, which lies in and extends longitudinallyof the foot-supporting surface, indicates what has hereinabove beenreferred to as the normal level". In Fig. 4 the approximate position ofthis normal level line N-L transversely of the shoe. is shown withreference to the insole l.

In accordance with one specific embodiment of the invention. the insoleY, illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, comprises the body portion l(or insole proper) which may be of leather or other suitable materialand which is provided with the marginal sewing lip 1 at its under side(if the insole is to be used in a welt shoe construction).

The foot-supporting surface i of the insole memsunung the support of anundue proportion of the weight. and insuring a substantially uniformdistribution of weight transversely of the shoe at the region of thedistal ends of the metatarsal bones.

At the heel and in the shank portion of the insole, the foot-supportingsurface Il of the latter, is disposed below the normal level N--L (Fig.9) the depressed area extending along the outer side of the insole andpreferably being' slightly' concave downwardly and, with the uppermaterial at that kside of the shoe, forming a shallow trough adapted toreceive the pad of muscular and elastic tissue, which lies along theouter margin of the foot and which is designed by nature to support theweight during `the forward rocking movement of the foot in taking astep. 'I'his de- Ipression in the insole surface extends from the heelforwardly to the ball portion of the foot, where it emerges smoothly'with the forepart surface l of the insole, the latter preferably beingsubstantially at the normal level.

Since the depression of the outer portion of the insole would increasethe internal capacity of the shoe beyond that which is standard for ashoe of the same size andstyle, it is desirable, in order to insure agood fit and proper foot comfort, to build up the surface ofthe insoleat the inner side of the shoe (where the foot does not ordinarilycontact the insole) so as to compensate for the increase in cubiccapacity due to the depression of the outer part of the insole. To

this end a compensating member I (for con- I venience referred to as apad) is permanently secured to the upper surface of the insole proper,preferably before lasting. This part I0 may be of leather or otherappropriate material, preferably substantially rigid and hard, and maybe cemented, sewed, stapled or otherwise secured to the member 8, itbeing obvious, that if practical, the part III might be made as anintegral portion of the member 6. This part I0 is of such dimensionsthat the completed shoe will be of substantially standard cubiccapacity. The upper surface II of the part I0 may be substantially flat,although as a practical matter it will, in most cases, be somewhatcurved. The surfaces I. and I I preferably merge at a distinct,longitudinally extendingstep or shoulder I2, while, at the forward endof the member Il, the surface I I merges at I3 with the surface l of theinsole member l. In making a shoe embodying an insole such as abovedescribed, it is preferable to employ a last Il such, for example, as isillustrated in Figs. 5. 23, 24 and 25. It has been well said that "thewaist of the foot underneath is very hollow on the inside butpractically fiat on the outside, and the lastjshould be a' faithful copyof the foot in these details." 'I'he present invention is based on arecognition ofthe above truth, and accordingly the last II- is designedwith these requirements in view.l The last chosen for illustration hasits longitudinal axis at the Camper line C-L (Figs. 5 and 5*) ,l and maybe in all particulars similar to usual lasts except that its bottom isshaped to accommodate an insole such as that of Fig. 6. Thus, at theforepart of the last, its under surface Il may be substantially at, inaccordance with usual practice, except that it preferably has a boss orprojection Il designed to t within the depression l in the forepart ofthe insole above described. At the shank portion of the last, the latterhas the substantially flat (or slightly convex) longitudinally extendingsurface I5* disposed below the normal level N-L and adapted to fit intothe depression Il of the insole, while u 2,059,470 at its inner Lsidethe under surface lib of the lastis abnormally elevated so as toaccommodate the elevated part l of the insole. This last may have theusual spindle hole I1 and the metallic heel plate 8 (Figs. 5a and 23) itbeing noted that `In Figs. 12 to 22 inclusive a preferred form of bottomconstruction is illustrated, wherein the insole 20 (Fig. 12) consists ofa piece of leather or other appropriate material or materials having themarginal sewing lip 20, and so moulded, preferably prior to lasting,that its foot-supporting surface comprises an area 2| at its outermargin located below the normal level N--L, and the high area 22 abovesuch normal level, said areas corresponding in location and function tothe areas li and respectively, (Fig.'9) of the insole 6. As in theinsole 6, the forepart of the insole 20 (Fig. 12) is substantially fiattransversely, except for the depression 9a for the reception of the padof the-great. toe, while thesurfaces 2| and 22 merge at thelongitudinally extending step or shoulder 23. Since such a mouldedinsole might not preserve its desired shape indefinitely unlesssupportedfrom beneath,l the invention contemplates the use with this insole of amoulded shank piece 2| (Fig. 15)l designed to underlie the mouldedinsole as illustrated in Figs. 20 and 22.I This shank piece (Fig. 15)may be of metal or other suitable material and is preferably quite stiff.and rigid to form a cantilever-like connection between the heel 3 andthe sole member. As illustrated, the shank piece has'a substantiallyflat land narrow tongue 26 at,

its rear end, perforated for the `reception of tacks, by means of whichit is secured to the lnsole at the central portion of the heel.Forwardly of the attaching tongue 25 the shank piece increases in widthand is mouldeddto provide the low, outer marginal portion 26 and therelatively higher inner marginal portion 21. The parts 26 and 21 arepreferably slightly curved in transverse section and disposed indifferent planes and are adapted to underlie and to support the low andhigh areas 2| and 22 respectively, of the insole 20. At its forward end28 the shank piece is further widened and preferably flattened andprovided with holes for the reception of fastener elements. In `Fig. 27,there is shown a modified shank piece 21B generally similar to shankpiece 21 of Fig. l5, but having a pad 21h at its forward end such asshown in the patent-to Brown, N o. 1,656,556. If desired. a shank pieceprovided with a pad 21b could be substituted for the shank piece Inorder .that the improved insole may have its outer margin below thenormal level in the nnished shoe, it is desirable to provide a specialheel for use in a shoe embodying such an insole, so shaped as` toaccommodate the low portion of the insole. Thus while the heel may be ofany stand-I ard height measured at its rear end, or at the inner comerof the breast, its upper surface at its forward outer corner is cut awayorotherwise reduced in height so that the low portion of the insole,overlying this part of the heel. may be supported below 'the normallevel. as illustrated in Fig. 20, for example. In order more clearly toillustrate this desired shaping of the heel, a high heel 3b for use in awomans shoe, is illustrated in Fig. 21. This heel may be of standardheight at its rear end 29 and also at its forward inner corner 30, butat its outer forward corner 3| it is of less than standard height sothat the top edge 32 of the breast surface slopes downwardly from itsinner toward its outer end. Obviously this relative lowering of theforward outer corner of the heel may be accomplished by the use ofwedges at the high side or, for example, by gouging out or otherwiseremoving material from the upper surface of the heel at the low side,but in any case such lowering of this part of the heel permits the solemembers at this point to drop beneath the normal level and thus'thedesired depression of the foot-supporting surface of the inner sole atthe heel and shank portion along the outer side of the shoe becomes apermanent feature of the shoe construction.

Since the purpose of the invention has previously been discussed and themode in which the improved shoe assists the foot in rocking forward ina. normal and natural manner while taking a step, it is unnecessary todescribe in further detail the way in which the improved shoefunctions'.

It is contemplated that the present invention may be embodied in shoesof other specific types, whether such shoes be for'mens, womens, orchildrens wear, and regardless of the height of the heel or thickness ofsole which may be employed, and all such modifications of the specificconstruction here illustrated, including variations in the relativesizes and shapes of the several parts, and the materials employed are tobe rea plantar surfaces of the heel, forepart and the outer longitudinalarch when the foot is in a balanced position, said surface beingprovided with a trough-like depression along its outer side forreceiving and supporting the entire plantar area ofthe muscular padwhich extends from the heel forwardly along the outer edge of the footto the b all portion thereof, said surface also including anapproximately level portion for supporting the entire ball of the foot,the forward part of said depression merging smoothly into said levelportion and being on the same level therewith, and the heel supportingportion of said structure including an approximately level surface forsupporting the greater part of the plantar surface of the heel.

2. A shoe including a bottom structure having an upper surfacey toengage and, support the plantar surfaces of the heel, forepart and theouter longitudinal arch when the foot is in a balanced position. saidsurface being provided with a trough-like depression along its outerside for receiving and supporting the l entire plantar area of themuscular pad which extends from the heel forwardly along the outer edgeof the foot to the ball portion thereof, said surface also including anapproximately level portion for supporting the entire ball ofthe foot,the forward part of said depression merging smoothly into said levelportion and being on the same level therewith, the heel supportingportion of said structure including an approximately level surface forsupporting the greater part of the plantar surface of the heel, and saiddepression extending rearwardly into the forward part of said heelsupporting surface but terminating at the side thereof considerablyforward of the rear end of said surface.

3. A shoe including a bottom structure comprlsing a sole member and aheel. the foot supporting surface of the sole member being provided witha trough-like depression extending forwardly from the heel to theforepart along the outer side thereof and of a width less than half thatof the sole member, said surface also including an approximately atforepart at substantially the same level with the forward part of saiddepression and into which the depression merges,

said at forepart surface extending across the entire ball area of thesole member and forwardly therefrom to support, on substantially thesame plane, the pressures of the distal ends of all of the metatarsalbones, said sole member being provided forward of the ball rtion with adepression to receive the pad of e great toe itself.

4. A shoe including a bottom structure comprising a sole member and aheel. the foot supporting surface of the sole member between the heeland the forepart being lower at the outer side than at thev inner sideof a line extending from substantially the center of the heel to thearea which supports the pad of the second toe, that part of the solesupporting surface throughout the forepart of the shoe being atapproximately the same level as said lower area where it approaches theforepart and merging smoothly into it, said forepart surface, however,having a depression for the reception of the pad of the big toe. and thepart of said surface at theinner side of said line being too low tosupport the arch of a normal NORMAN D. MATTISON.

